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Improved Streetscape

New wider sidewalks with street trees, landscaping and street furniture will enhance the pedestrian experience for residents accessing their homes, visitors to the many sports and cultural destinations in the area and members of Longwood Medical Area or Boston University communities.

Enhanced Neighborhood Vibrancy

With a diversity of uses, including ground floor retail and new hotel amenities, the experiences of living, working and visiting the neighborhood will be greatly enhanced and improved over current conditions.

Activated Public Realm

The new public connection between Brookline Avenue and Beacon Street will create an easier and safer way for pedestrians to move through Kenmore Square, while the new community space on the Beacon Street side will serve as an outdoor urban destination for residents and visitors alike.

Community Engagement

The two new hotel concepts are geared to engage the existing residents of Kenmore square through inclusive social spaces, collaborative meeting space and ground floor and rooftop amenity spaces. The hotels will seek to be a part of the community to add to the cultural depth of the neighborhood.

Smart Growth

The project is conveniently located near existing public transportation, including the MBTA’s Green Line Kenmore and Yawkey stations, the Commuter Rail and many bus routes. The hotels will transform underutilized parcels to more active uses supporting the expansion of the vibrant live, work, play community emerging and existing in Kenmore Square.

Sustainable Design

The projects will seek LEED-certifiable, Silver level, incorporating sustainable design features to preserve and protect the environment.

Economic Development

The addition of 677 hotel rooms will add new visitors to the area’s retail and restaurants, allowing more families and individuals to experience Boston, spending time and money in the City. This project will also create new property tax revenues based on the increase in property values.

Replacing: Single story parking structure and four-story building at 655-665 Beacon Street

Access: Beacon Streets and Brookline Avenue

Loading: Beacon Street

Parking: 145 below-grade spaces

Site Plan

Project Video

Mark Development (in partnership with Normandy) is proposing an updated plan for a dynamic new mixed use neighborhood at the Riverside MBTA station. Incorporating a mix of housing, office, hotel and retail with parking for both the MBTA and new uses, the project is designed to maximize the benefits of new development at this prime location. A new, walkable neighborhood close to transit, Riverside meets many community needs.

Mark Development (in partnership with Normandy) is proposing an updated plan for a dynamic new mixed use neighborhood at the Riverside MBTA station. Incorporating a mix of housing, office, hotel and retail with parking for both the MBTA and new uses, the project is designed to maximize the benefits of new development at this prime location. A new, walkable neighborhood close to transit, Riverside meets many community needs.

KEY FACTS:

The City of Newton and the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (which owns the Riverside parcel) have considered this site a prime opportunity for beneficial new development in Newton, Massachusetts for many years. The current proposal for the site builds on a shared vision for a dynamic mixed-use project that maximizes the transit oriented nature of the site. To create a successful project and improve site accessibility, Mark Development acquired and incorporated the current Hotel Indigo site into the proposed project. The team is currently exploring a direct connection to the 1-95 off/on ramp from the site.

The 15 acre development parcel (part of a 25 acre total site that includes the MBTA tracks and service area), located near the intersection of routes 90 and 95 and the terminus of the MBTA”s green line offers a great urban design opportunity to integrate a mix of uses, building types and scale to create a walkable, transit-oriented project in Newton.

TIMELINE

Mark Development has been sharing plans informally with the community since early Summer, 2018. This includes a community outreach campaign where members of the extended Mark Development team knock on doors to share preliminary info about the project and listen to community feedback.

On September 27th, 2018 we held a community meeting at Newton North High School; more than 120 community residents attended. Led by architect and urban planner Jeff Speck, the team shared our plans with the broader community and listen to further feedback. The power point presentation from that meeting can be accessed HERE. We anticipate formally filing our plans for the site with the city in December or January.

We welcome the opportunity to meet with community members to share our plan. If interested in arranging a briefing, please contact us through the Feedback Page of this website. Otherwise, check this spot regularly for additional information about meetings and the project timeline.

CITY OF NEWTON

The development will require a special permit from the Newton City Council as well as amendments to the existing Mixed Use 3 zoning district. Public hearings on these zoning matters are likely to commence early in 2019. We will provide updates here as the process unfolds. The public will have the opportunity to share its comments with the City Council during this process.

MassDOT

The vast majority of the project site (outside of the Hotel Indigo property) is owned by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and overseen by the Department of Transportation. Mark Development will work closely with MassDOT to assure that project design, construction and related activities occur in a way that supports continued operation of the MBTA station, maintenance and other transit-oriented activities on the site.

MEPA

The project will file an environmental overview with the Massachusetts Environmental Protection Agency as part of this project.

Please check here regularly for project updates.

On September 27th, 2018 we held a community meeting at Newton North High School; more than 120 community residents attended. Led by architect and urban planner Jeff Speck, the team shared our planswith the broader community and listen to further feedback. The power point presentation from that meeting can be accessed HERE. We anticipate formally filing our plans for the site with the city in December or January.

Net new tax revenue of approximately $2,300,000 – $2,500,000; this subtracts the cost of any potential city services used by this project

New sales tax revenue ($90,000 annually)

Affordable housing (a minimum of 15%)

Expanded market-rate housing options, ideal for:

Empty nesters

Young professionals

Individuals who grew up in Newton and are looking for a starter home option

New job opportunities

Construction jobs

3,800 permanent jobs (associated with new commercial space)

Outdoor amphitheater/public park for community uses

Transit-oriented and walkable new neighborhood

Beautiful new landscaping and project design

Transportation benefits, including:

Over $20M of transportation and infrastructure improvements, including but not limited to: improved highway access to the Site, which will address concerns from neighbors regarding traffic on Grove Street

Transforming Grove Street into a safer, more attractive corridor, with enlarged and improved sidewalks and bikes lanes, new landscaping, and street furniture

The creation of a pedestrian and bicycle street network that will improve access to Riverside Station for all users